Pearson prevails in California dogfight!
What. A. Race.
As the lucky thirty lined up to take the start of the second race of the 2022 edition of the 247 ANZCAR Cup, the likely treachery of the opening laps was on everyone's mind. Lucky they were as eighteen other hopefuls had failed to make the race at all. This of course was the first “real” ANZCAR race with the seventh generation cup car, the first two having been held at the unrepresentative LA Coliseum and Daytona's famed superspeedway.
The opening laps would reveal what was to be one of the themes of the race. As Worley and Hetterscheid led away from the front row it became apparent that a level of circumspection would be required in the opening laps as the tyres came up to temperature. Drivers from the front to the back of the grid were seen sliding out of turn four, and this indeed brought the first caution on lap five, with Dautanac spinning and collecting Schroder and Jackson in the process.
A further caution on lap 26 saw the entire field come down pit road for tyres and fuel, with the exception of Trahair who continued through without stopping, taking the lead in the process. The resulting restart saw the biggest wreck of the night with Foster the latest to break loose in turn four. He recovered the 53 but tagged Hobson in the process who spun to the infield. Michelmore spun attempting to avoid the carnage and collected Russell, Freer, Curtis and Schultz in the process.
This set up a long, mostly green flag run with a breakaway lead quintet of Pearson, Worley, Dyson, Trahair and Foster all in the mix, with the recovering Hobson and Neale in pursuit. Positions would swap multiple times amongst the group with drivers able to run on all parts of the track.
Luke Trahair would finally come to pit road on lap 63, taking a long overdue service for The Weigh Down Camry. His bold strategy call would come undone on lap 67 however, as he became the latest victim of the cold tyres + turn four combination. This would bring out the final caution of the race, Foster leading off pit road to set up a forty lap run home.
The remainder of the race will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it, with any doubts about the latest generation of car surely now put to bed. A leading group of Foster, Hobson and Neale, fought the DPR trio of Dyson, Pearson and Worley tooth and nail in a thrilling fight where almost every one of the pack led the race. Neale forced his way to the lead using the low line, while Foster and Hobson preferred to run high, the DPR trio would line up in an attempt to defeat each threat as it came before going back to the business of beating each other.
As the laps wore down and the tyres did the same, it was Pearson leading Dyson across the line for the win, Foster a last gasp third ahead of Neale and Worley, with Hobson bringing his damaged and evil handling car home in sixth. See you in Vegas!
Stewards Report
Incidents
Lap 5 - Mirko Dautanac
Lap 10 - Dylan O'Shea
Lap 15 - Phillip Worley
Lap 26 - Greg Spencer
Lap 30 - Edward Foster
Lap 34 - Aiden Schultz
Lap 67 - Luke Trahair
Warning
Restart Infringements -5 points
Lap 33 - Luke Trahair - lead car slowed by a few kph before accelerating, lead car is to maintain speed
Lap 38 - Luke Trahair - borderline lane change on restart
Race Broadcast replay on Performance E Streaming
https://youtu.be/tCjyFRo3hdE
What. A. Race.
As the lucky thirty lined up to take the start of the second race of the 2022 edition of the 247 ANZCAR Cup, the likely treachery of the opening laps was on everyone's mind. Lucky they were as eighteen other hopefuls had failed to make the race at all. This of course was the first “real” ANZCAR race with the seventh generation cup car, the first two having been held at the unrepresentative LA Coliseum and Daytona's famed superspeedway.
The opening laps would reveal what was to be one of the themes of the race. As Worley and Hetterscheid led away from the front row it became apparent that a level of circumspection would be required in the opening laps as the tyres came up to temperature. Drivers from the front to the back of the grid were seen sliding out of turn four, and this indeed brought the first caution on lap five, with Dautanac spinning and collecting Schroder and Jackson in the process.
A further caution on lap 26 saw the entire field come down pit road for tyres and fuel, with the exception of Trahair who continued through without stopping, taking the lead in the process. The resulting restart saw the biggest wreck of the night with Foster the latest to break loose in turn four. He recovered the 53 but tagged Hobson in the process who spun to the infield. Michelmore spun attempting to avoid the carnage and collected Russell, Freer, Curtis and Schultz in the process.
This set up a long, mostly green flag run with a breakaway lead quintet of Pearson, Worley, Dyson, Trahair and Foster all in the mix, with the recovering Hobson and Neale in pursuit. Positions would swap multiple times amongst the group with drivers able to run on all parts of the track.
Luke Trahair would finally come to pit road on lap 63, taking a long overdue service for The Weigh Down Camry. His bold strategy call would come undone on lap 67 however, as he became the latest victim of the cold tyres + turn four combination. This would bring out the final caution of the race, Foster leading off pit road to set up a forty lap run home.
The remainder of the race will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it, with any doubts about the latest generation of car surely now put to bed. A leading group of Foster, Hobson and Neale, fought the DPR trio of Dyson, Pearson and Worley tooth and nail in a thrilling fight where almost every one of the pack led the race. Neale forced his way to the lead using the low line, while Foster and Hobson preferred to run high, the DPR trio would line up in an attempt to defeat each threat as it came before going back to the business of beating each other.
As the laps wore down and the tyres did the same, it was Pearson leading Dyson across the line for the win, Foster a last gasp third ahead of Neale and Worley, with Hobson bringing his damaged and evil handling car home in sixth. See you in Vegas!
Stewards Report
Incidents
Lap 5 - Mirko Dautanac
Lap 10 - Dylan O'Shea
Lap 15 - Phillip Worley
Lap 26 - Greg Spencer
Lap 30 - Edward Foster
Lap 34 - Aiden Schultz
Lap 67 - Luke Trahair
Warning
Restart Infringements -5 points
Lap 33 - Luke Trahair - lead car slowed by a few kph before accelerating, lead car is to maintain speed
Lap 38 - Luke Trahair - borderline lane change on restart
Race Broadcast replay on Performance E Streaming
https://youtu.be/tCjyFRo3hdE
